Veteran callers win at annual duck calling competition

Aug. 31—Hundreds of duck calling and sporting enthusiasts gathered at Veterans Memorial Park in Colusa over the weekend for the annual California State and Butte Sink Regional Calling Competition.

Hosted by Kittle's Outdoor and Sport Co. for the last 11 years, the competition is the largest calling event west of the Rocky Mountains and has brought hundreds of callers from across the country to compete over the years, including the man that brought the event to Colusa more than a decade ago.

"In 1987, I actually competed at the fairgrounds in Colusa and was out-done by David Janes, who went on to win the world championship in Arkansas," said event organizer Pat Kittle. "To date, David is the only one from California to win the world's competition."

Kittle said this event is important, not only because it sends competitors to the world competition, but also because there are over 55,000 waterfowl hunters in California and, from a distance, most people do not realize that diversity exists within the state.

"There is a long heritage of hunting waterfowl in this entire valley — most notably the Butte Sink — that dates back to the native tribes depending on the influx of migrating birds followed by the market hunters that survived the gold rush by taking waterfowl and other game for a living," said Kittle. "Today, waterfowl hunting and the local rice industry go hand in hand. Land owners get a supplemental income from the hunters and the hunters and guides get a place to 'recreate,' continuing decades of traditions in their families. The rice fields undoubtedly provide prime wintering grounds for all types of migrating waterfowl — hunted and protected."

With their duck calls in hand, several competitors of all ages barked, chattered, cooed and honked during the two-day competition with the hopes of taking home a victory.

The biggest competition of the event — the Butte Sink Regional — kicked off the festivities on Saturday with eight competitors.

During the competition, five judges blindly scored contestants based on the pitch, range and control of the 90-second "Main Street" call routine performed by each competitor.

"You would never call like that in a blind," said Master of Ceremonies Reg Bravo. "The judges are looking for who can control the call the best. They want to see how far they can take the call and maintain control."

Kittle said the "Main Street" style is likened to a musical instrument by hitting all the notes without a "squawk."

"If one can master this routine with volume and finesse, then one is ready to compete with others in and out of the field," said Kittle.

Bronson Lasle, of Penn Grove, took first place in the Butte Sink Regional competition and Colby Stilwell, of Willows, took second place. Kittle said victories by these veteran competitors now qualify them both to compete in the World Duck Calling Competition in Stuttgart, Arkansas, the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Saturday's competition also featured amateur competitions, where the youngsters got to try their hand at calling during the junior and intermediate duck and speck calling contests before the California State Live Duck Calling Competition.

After the day of competitions, Kittle's Outdoor and Sport hosted an appreciation afterparty Saturday night.

Sunday morning kicked off with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Colusa Fire Department, followed by the California State Championship title competition — another World Competition qualifier — followed by the California State Speck Calling Contest and the California State Two Man Meat Contest.

Kittle said the community of Colusa has been actively supporting this event since Kittle started hosting it in 2011, after taking the competition over from the California Waterfowl Association. The event has been expanded throughout the years to include a Sportsman's Expo, with several vendors selling an assortment of hunting gear, food and more, and each year Kittle organizes a big annual sale in coordination with the event.

This year, with the help of Sheila Lorenzini, Kittle said the Colusa Lions Club helped out at the event by hosting a barbecue and members of the Colusa Ducks Shooting Club were also there to lend a helping hand.

"The city of Colusa and the Colusa Police Department have been extremely proactive in assisting with the logistics," said Kittle.

Organizers said this California duck calling tradition has produced multiple world champion duck callers and they are proud to continue to support these competitors in the pursuit of mastering the art of calling waterfowl.